How to Prepare Your Home for a Sump Pump Failure

Sump pumps are a vital part of most homes in the Edmonton area. They serve an important purpose that some people are not aware of. The water that sump pumps are removing from your home comes from either rain, melting snow, or groundwater in areas that have a high water table.

Sump pumps are mechanical devices that vary in quality significantly; unfortunately, many consumer-grade pumps are on the lower end of the scale. This is also common in new construction as the pump only needs to survive the duration of the warranty for the builder to fulfill their obligation to the new homeowner. Fortunately, there are better quality pumps available but it can be difficult for consumers to determine which is which.

With that being said, even the best sump pumps require maintenance on both the pump and the sump pit. Even for those who are diligent about maintaining their sump pump, there is always a chance that it can fail, and when it does the water damage can be horrendous. For more information on maintaining your sump pump check out our blog on sump pump maintenance.

While the damage won’t be as bad if your basement isn’t finished it will still be a huge hassle and will likely require professional cleanup. If you have finished your basement you should really consider some additional safety measures to keep your basement dry because you have already made a sizeable investment to finish it.

Below are a few different ways that you can get some additional piece of mind if basement flooding is something that keeps you up at night.

Sump Flood Prevention Methods

Water Alarms

Water alarms can be a good solution for those on a budget. There are lots of alarm options available on the market with a variety of features. All of the current models available have an audible alarm and some are able to communicate with your phone via an app or email alerts. The best model for this approach would be one with a sensor extension that can be lowered into the sump pit so you will know when the water level has risen above the normal level. This way you’ll have some warning before the water level crests the floor.

Using a water alarm as your flood prevention method isn’t ideal as you will still have to act quickly if your sump pump fails, but if you are comfortable with that risk this could be a viable budget-friendly solution.

Redundant Sump Pumps

Having redundant sump pumps refers to having 2 sump pumps situated in the same sump pit. This can be a fantastic solution to protect your basement from flooding. With redundant pumps there are always 2 pumps ready to pump water, so if one of them fails the second one is able to carry on like nothing happened.

There can be some complications with the installation of redundant pumps as the sump pit can get crowded. In most instances, the installing plumber will be able to make it work, although a different style of float switch may be required.

You may be thinking that this is the ultimate way to protect your basement, but there is one downfall to redundant pumps. If you end up losing power to your home, they won’t be able to pump a drop. This may or may not be a concern for you but it is definitely something to keep in mind.

Battery Backup Sump Pumps

Having a battery backup sump pump is the ultimate in protection for your home. A battery backup sump pump consists of a plug-in charger, a battery, and a DC pump. With a battery backup pump installed, you can truly rest easy. If your primary pump stops working due to either a failure or power outage the DC battery pump will carry on pumping until the battery runs out of power. These pumps are capable of pumping surprising volumes of water on a single charge of the battery. This provides some serious piece of mind to concerned homeowners.

Combinations

There are of course some different combinations that can be used depending on your unique situation. For example, a water alarm is a good thing to use regardless of what you are using for your pump(s). In areas with high water tables where the pump rarely turns off we have actually installed redundant pumps with a battery backup pump as well. While this particular installation resulted in a very crowded sump pit, it was just the piece of mind that this customer was looking for. While this may be a bit much for what you need, at Mr. Rooter of Edmonton we will be happy to work with you to help you find the best solution so that you can protect your basement from flooding.

If you are concerned about sump pump failure and would like to talk to a qualified Edmonton plumber you came to the right place! Call a skilled Edmonton Plumber from Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Edmonton to request an appointment!